Getty Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving will become the latest vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. He’ll replace Pau Gasol on the committee.
“This was the right time for me to run for a leadership position in the NBPA,” Irving said (via ESPN).
“I have been an observer and a participant in union affairs for a while, but for the most part, I was off on the sidelines, supporting our Executive Committee as they made important decisions. At this point in my career, I wanted to join forces with those guys and take a bigger role outside of the basketball court and within our union.”
Gasol has been a vice president on the committee for the past three seasons, though his term recently expired.
Chris Paul is the current president of the NBPA with Andre Iguodala serving as the first VP. Anthony Tolliver is the secretary-treasurer of the association. In addition to Irving, who’s in his ninth season in the NBA, there are five other VPs in the committee. Bismack Biyombo, Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, CJ McCollum, and Garrett Temple are also vice presidents in the organization.
History of NBPA Executives
Presidents
- Bob Cousy: (1954–1958)
- Tom Heinsohn: (1958–1965)
- Oscar Robertson: (1965–1974)
- Paul Silas: (1974–1980)
- Bob Lanier: (1980–1985)
- Junior Bridgeman: (1985 – February 1988)
- Alex English: (February 1988 – October 5, 1988)
- Isiah Thomas: (October 5, 1988 – February 13, 1994)
- Buck Williams: (February 13, 1994 – September 15, 1997)
- Patrick Ewing: (September 15, 1997 – July 10, 2001)
- Michael Curry: (July 10, 2001 – June 28, 2005)
- Antonio Davis: (June 28, 2005 – November 19, 2006)
- Derek Fisher: (November 19, 2006 – August 21, 2013)
- Chris Paul: (August 21, 2013–present)
First Vice President
- Roger Mason Jr.: (August 21, 2013 – June 23, 2017)
- LeBron James: (June 23, 2017 – February 2, 2019)
- Andre Iguodala: (February 2, 2019 – present)
Vice Presidents
- Steve Blake: (August 21, 2013 – June 23, 2017)
- Kyle Korver: (February 12, 2016 – June 23, 2017)
- Carmelo Anthony: (June 23, 2017– February 18, 2019)
- Stephen Curry: (June 23, 2017– February 18, 2019)
- Pau Gasol: (June 23, 2017–February 17, 2019)
- Andre Iguodala: (June 23, 2017–present)
- Bismack Biyombo:(February 18, 2019 – present)
- Jaylen Brown:(February 18, 2019 – present)
- Malcolm Brogdon: (February 18, 2019 – present)
- CJ McCollum: (2018–present)
Secretary-Treasurers
- James Jones: (February 6th, 2017–July 18th, 2017)
- Anthony Tolliver (2019–present)
Executive Directors
- Larry Fleisher (1970–1988)
- Charles Grantham (1988–1995)
- Simon Gourdine (1995–1996)
- Alex English (1996, interim)
- Billy Hunter (1996–2013)
- Michele Roberts (2014–present)
Kyrie Irving’s First Season in Brooklyn
Kyrie Irving signed with the Nets this offseason, replacing D’Angelo Russell as the point guard in Brooklyn. His first year hasn’t gone as planned, as injuries have robbed him of time on the court.
“I always say this, we pay 17 guys on the roster,” Atkinson told Heavy.com last month. “A guy goes down, that’s our job. You have to step up. You have to step up to the level of that player you’re replacing or better. That’s our goal. That’s where we want to get to…We have sufficient talent in there and good guys, and good players. Guys will have to step up.”
The point guard had his best game in the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death where he dropped 54 points “I hit a few shots, so I had to keep going and Kobe mentality, and Mamba mentality, keep going,” Irving said at the time.
READ NEXT: Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan Among 8 Finalists for Basketball Hall of Fame